Adiós 2013!!

Summed up: 2013 has been a rollercoaster of a year for me, jam-packed full of adventure, experience and fun!! It's been tiring but also very rewarding!! Bring on 2014, a fresh start and the opportunity for a fresh approach!!

FAVOURITES

Beauty: Simple brand. I cannot choose an individual favourite because the whole brand is fabulous. Everything from the moisturiser to the make up remover wipes, Simple is perfect for anyone who - like me - has sensitive skin. I've been using Simple for years.Make Up: Rimmel Nail Polish: 500 Disco Ball on top of 198 Azure (both from the Rimmel London Lasting Finish Collection). I've been adding the two together all year. Blue and sparkly work all year round, it's fun and partyish but also makes a subtle statement. Well, I think so anyway :3

Music Top 5: Beyoncé is definitely my music crush of 2013 (so majestical!) but then I couldn't not mention these songs. They've been on repeat all year and all five have memories or meaning behind them for me :)

"Don't You Worry Child" - Swedish House Mafia

"Latch" - Disclosure

"We Should Hang Out" - Con Bro Chill

"We Can Make The World Stop" - Glitch Mob

"Can't Hold Us" - Macklemore

*Among many many many others!

University Moment: I have two:

1. starting a Conga line that consisted of three quarters of the room at the annual Languages Summer Ball, broken only because there was no place left to go.

2. seeing close friends after five months abroad. These things definitely bring you closer!

Month: December, because it's Christmas!

Film: "Now You See Me" with Jesse Eisenberg and Mark Ruffalo! Sooooo good!! I can't believe IMDb only gave it a 7.3...!!

Youtuber/s: FleurdeForce, Zoella, JacksGap, Fun for Louis.Pinterest: my favourite pin this year is one I called "Cat Wisdom. Nice lil' mantra". It's a cute little quote reminding you to value and look after yourself, but from the perspective of a cat. Very sweet, and very true. :)

Travel: Brazil - but not for the reasons you might think. As part of my degree I have to spend time abroad and I chose to live in Florianópolis, Brazil. Yes it is an incredible place but not for me. I would happily go back for a couple of weeks of surfing perhaps, I really got into it in the last month or so of my first stay. However, the lifestyle is not something I'd choose to adopt permanently.

But! Those five months helped me in another way. Moving to Brazil meant facing some problems that I had been ignoring for a long time and therefore completely run myself down. These "problems" were more emotional and mental rather than anything clinical or physical.

I don't really see the point in getting into details so basically I learned a couple of lessons. I thought I could run away from problems by moving abroad: but you can't! Different country: same problems. For example, I need to stop thinking of what I think I 'should do' and what I think others expect of me, and do what I love and what's right for me because that is happiness and success. Doing something (like moving to Brazil without really knowing what to expect) that you think you need to make your CV stand out is great! However if you do this and don't take time to listen to what would actually be good for you (maybe changing your degree title so you can go somewhere else you might enjoy properly ie. Mexico), you end up with a massive slap in the face - or just a huge reality check - when you arrive. Follow your passions! Not other people's!

Another one: your body is not a machine. You have to respect your body's needs and you cannot expect your body to run without some form of regular rest, especially without sleep. I tend to challenge myself and push to the limits when it comes to opportunities etc, so I took on another language (which means more coursework and exams), became part of two society committees, an active course rep and then tried going out at least twice a week. So I got stressed but wouldn't ask for help unless really necessary, filled every hour of every day with stuff to do and then never took time out to relax and switch off. This probably sounds all jumbly and doesn't make a heck of a lot of sense, but I don't really feel the need to go back and revisit this part of my life at the moment as I'm focusing on the new and the positive right now. I may write a more in depth post on here at some point, but for those of you who are curious now: go to my Year Abroad blog http://brazilandthenut.weebly.com/ for my weekly video updates.